1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hydrogen nucleus storage method and a hydrogen nuclei storage unit for storing or keeping hydrogen nuclei occluded in a hydrogen occlusion member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although cold nuclear fusion which is a phenomenon wherein a nuclear fusion reaction occurs when atomic nuclei of deuterium or hydrogen are successively occluded into a hydrogen occlusion member such as palladium in a reactor vessel exhibits difficulty in actual proof of the reproducibility, much effort has been and is being directed to research and development of the cold nuclear fusion technique. From various publications until now, it can be seen that the research and development in this field has been directed principally to occlusion of atomic nuclei of deuterium or hydrogen into a hydrogen occlusion member and, under present conditions, is not directed to utilization or application of a hydrogen occlusion member after such occlusion.
As a technique which takes note of a hydrogen occlusion member after occlusion, a method of occluding and confining deuterium into and in a deuterium occlusion metal is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Heisei 6-148366. According to the method mentioned, an entire block of a deuterium occlusion metal such as a Pd alloy or Ti is soaked in electrolytic solution of an electrolytic cell and electrolysis of heavy water is performed using the deuterium occlusion metal block as a cathode so as to occlude deuterium into the cathode, and then a barrier layer of Hg, Au, Ag, Cu, Sn, In, Zn or the like which does not penetrate deuterium therethrough is formed on the surface of the cathode by electrolytic or electroless plating in order to keep the hydrogen occlusion condition.
However, where the method is employed, after the entire block of the hydrogen occlusion metal is soaked into the electrolytic solution and electrolysis of heavy water is performed to occlude deuterium (more accurately, to occlude atomic nuclei of deuterium) into the deuterium occlusion member, Hg ions or like ions are added directly to the heavy water and then a barrier layer is formed by electrolysis. Accordingly, although occlusion of deuterium and formation of a barrier layer can be performed in the same electrolytic cell, the method described above is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to form an intended barrier layer, that the heavy water cannot be used repetitively because Hg ions and so forth are added after each occlusion operation and that, even if repetitive use of the heavy water is possible, processing for removing the additive is required in order to allow such re-utilization and consequently the utilization efficiency of the heavy water is low.